Madness? Bee to give away $12,000 if GU wins
March Madness is officially kicking off in Sandpoint this Monday with a distinctive Bulldog flavor.
NCAA fans, Gonzaga Bulldog and Sandpoint Bulldog fans are invited to come out Monday to attend the NCAA kickoff and team pairing hoorah at the Laughing Dog Brewery. The fun begins at 6 p.m.
At this brew-ha-ha, 68 local businesses and organizations will be randomly paired with teams in the NCAA basketball tournament.
The contestants earn free advertising by being in the contest and increasingly receive bigger and bigger ads as their team progresses through the tournament.
But wait, there is more! Every participant in the contest will win a free ad in the Bee if the Gonzaga Bulldogs win.
If GU cuts down the nets after winning the national championship, the Bee will offer up 64 free ads to all of the participants. This could total more than $12,000 in advertising for local businesses.
“Everybody is rooting for Gonzaga around here so it made sense us to up the ante,” said David Keyes, Bee publisher. “We have held NCAA contests like this in the past but we decided to kick it up a notch this year.”
And what better way to show support for the Bulldogs than to have a party at Laughing Dog? Although the pooch behind the Laughing Dog logo is a yellow lab, even the iconic mug behind the logo will be there Monday.
“I’m a Bulldog,” said SHS grad and Laughing Dog owner, Fred Colby. “Hey, we are all Bulldogs during March Madness.
Colby and Keyes invite any fan to stop by Laughing Dog Monday to partake in the festivities. In fact, anyone 21 and older and wearing Bulldog attire or bringing in a real bulldog might find themselves with a special, liquid prize, Colby said.
Who is going to be paired with Gonzaga and who will be paired with the Horizon or Big Sky conference champs? Find out Monday at 6 p.m. at Laughing Dog.
It is not too late to be in the contest. Contact the Daily Bee Monday morning to get in to the fun.
Many of the winners in the past have donated their winnings to their favorite charities. The Food Bank, Kinderhaven, Love, Inc., and other organizations have had fund drives based on donated ads.
Barb Perusse at Mountain Communications ran a full page support local businesses ad that led to many months of raising awareness of local non-profits as well local businesses.
DA Davidson used its ads to support several non-profits and Farm Bureau helped Love Inc. get the word out about a fundraiser that non-profit was having as well.
Contact the Bee if you are interested in participating and make sure you stop by Laughing Dog to enjoy a little March Madness.
David Keyes is the publisher of the Bee. He will be standing next to one lucky ad salesperson who will be wearing a bee costume Monday night.